Disk handling apparatus



Nov. 23,1943l F.G.H1RST' Y 2,454,556

DISK HANDLING APPARATUS v 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 28, 1946 Nov. 23, 194s.

Filed Dec. 28, 1946 F. G. HlRsT D IsK HANDLING APPARATUS BYl 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 @www A TTORNE YS. l

F. G. HIRST DISK HANDLING APPARATUS Nov. 273, 1948.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec.' 28, 1946 ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 23, 1948. F. G. HlRsT DISK HANDLING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet "4 Filed Dec. 2s, 194e Nw Nw@ f lnlllllllirllln ...illliilllliillll il 'l n ir?? Erzi: Ill'. EDI

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Patented Nov. 23, 19.4.8

.I` STATES; OF F IC Eij DISK HANDLING APPARATUS FrankliniG. Hirst,fsPhila;delphia,iPa.-

Applicationv December 28, 1946,. SeriaLNo. 8718.965 v (oren- 1i 10 Claims. l

This inventio-n relates. to Vapparatus Juseful'in handling small vdisks .oftliin sheet material in` cidentto carrying outprinting or other operations upon them. More specically, it. is. concerned withthe handlingpfdelicate and fragile apertured. disks. of micaor other dielectric material such as are employed in the manufacture of small capacity `condensers .to .which imprints of metal in solutionare `to be .applied in lieu of the usual metallic foil.

The chief aim of my invention isto pro-Vide ape. paratusofthe kindreferred 'to whichcaribe-reliedupon tomaintain multipledisks in definite separation .incident to. deposit upon and subsequent removalfrom aprintingplaten and so pre-,. clude overlapping fbetWeenthe-m. during the printing as Well as afterwardswhile. drying, andthereby obviate smearing..

Briefly describedftheapparatus of myinvention comprisesJa support .in .theform .of a tray for multiple piles of apertureddi'sks; a. primary transferlelernent.which. .at each operation, removes vthe ruppermost disks fromthe piles onI the` support and .which deposits th'emupon'the platen of theA printing means without change in .their spaced relation; and a second .transfer element for removing the` disks. from. theplaten after` printingandfdeposits them 'onto a surface such; as a moving. belt for drying; likewise without: change in their originalspa-cing.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from.the following detaileddes'criptionof the attached drawings,'wherein" Fig. 1 is a-perspective. View of tone ofthe disk pile supportingV or trayA element of my-improved' apparatus.

Fig. 2 isv asimilar .View of the primary'transfer.` element of theapparatus; K

Fig. 3 isa view in side. elevation' showing how the primary transfer element. of Fig. 2 is. applied to .the tray .element of "FigA 1 in preparationfor the removal of the uppermost disks'from the piles on the latter..

Fig. 4 shows theto'pplan view ofthe assemblage' cf Fig. 3.`

Fi`g.g5 shows the topplan View of thetrayelement.

Figs. 6 and` 7 are fragmentaryvviews in section drawn to a larger scale and `taken as..indicatedv respectively.. by the angled.. arrows @LVI-VI Sand. VII`-VII 'in FigA.

Fig.; 8 is a. View likelFig.- 7 "showinghow thel uppermost disks are. .removed.lfrlom..the pileson thel tray elementby the primary transfer. element..

Fig;A 9 "isi 4a ,view partly. in. .side Telex/ation 1 and.:

` partly inlOngitudinal section showinghowthe" disks are depositedupon the printingpla'ten.

Fig. 10 isa similar. view showing a stencil'frame. applied over. the .disks onthe vplaten in readiness..

in .horizontal section. taken as. indicated bythe angled .arrows XII-XII inFig. 11.1

Fig. 13 .isa horizontal sectiontaken as indicated by the4 angled arrows XIII-.-XIII" in Fig. 11.m

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view in .vertical n'section of the secondary transfer `element .showing 4how hose (not shown). to asource ofcompressedair..

the Wet printed/disks are retained .bythe latter` upon;being lifted from. the .printing platen; and. Fig.V 15 'is a viewlike Fi'g14 shbwinghow. the newly printed wet disks are subsequently'released from the secondary.transferelement. incident to depositupon a'supporting .surface for drying..

In Figs.. 1-'8 of .these illustrations, theftrayeleg ment of my improved.disklhandling apparatus. is. comprehensively designated by the numeralv I5' andshown as havingtheformof a dat. rectangu-- lar. Aplate I6 .whichds hollow and .provided at .one end witha nipple I1 for .connectionby meansofa.

The .tray element` I5 is moreovertprovidedatop,

posite Yends. withgrasp handles I8.. `Upstanding. from the plate I6 .at .denitely 'spaced intervals` studs ,i9 Leach having .anyaxial duct,.20. inv com?. municationwith ,the hollow of .said plate,and

' lateral air discharge orices 2|..and4 22 .atfdifferent .levels adjacent its .vupper,.e nd, the .axes :of the uppermostv aperturesnbeinginclined .down-` wardly asbest .showninFig 8.. Thestuds. I9 serve as :posts for {impalementVY of.v i piles `of thin apertured mica. disks..D to. which imprintsl of metallicpaint or the like to be `applied as later.l on explained.

The .primarytransfer.element of the apparatusl is generally designatedin Fig. 2,.and; as shown,z

like .the element` l5, isin the form of a hollow-platev 2B which, see Fig. 4, is :provided at oneend with a nipplefl .for connection "bymeans of a liexiblehose. (not illustrated) toa sourceof` suction, and. atoppositeends. with grasp handles28.. The plate7 62 ismoreover providedwith holes .29 arranged: to correspond with the spacing .ofthe studs ,l 9 onl the element l5.,` Suction totheplate 26.0fthe. transfer element 25 iscontrollable by means of a spring-biased .yalve which is indicated` at .30 land. which .is .op erable. by pressure.uponithe-upperend.

of its plunger 3|, see Fig. 6. Extending through the bottom wall of the plate 26 from the hollow of the latter and arranged circumferentially about each hole 29 within the area of a disk D is a group of suction orifices 32 see Figs. 4, -'7 and 8, the purpose of which will be presently explained. From Fig. 6 it will be observed that the plunger 3| of valve 30 has an annular groove 3|a by way of which communication is normally established between a port 30a with which the nipple 2l connects and a port 30D which leads to the hollow of the plate 25. Thus when the plunger 3| is depressed, the port 30a is closed and communication established between the port 30h and a third port 30o which leads to the atmosphere. Under the latter condition, the tension within the hollow of the plate 25 is completely relieved to insure release of the disks incident to deposit onto a printing platen also as hereinafter more clearly set forth.

In use, the primary transfer element 25 is lowered over the tray element |5 and its holes 29 incidentally registered wtih .the studs I9 of the latter element until the plate 26 rests upon the disks on said tray element. In order to facilitate the step just described, the tray element I5 is provided at corners with apertures 33 to receive pendant dowel pins 34 on the primary transfer element 25. Moreover, to insure against improper placement of the transfer element 25 on the tray element l5, the latter is provided with a pair of dowel pins 35 and 3B and the former with receiving apertures 3l and 38 for them. The pin 35, it will be noted, is on the longitudinal Center line of the tray plate I6, while the pin 36 is disposed off center, the same being true with regard to the arrangement of the corresponding apertures 3l and 38 in the plate of the transfer element to prevent improper placement of the tray. With the suction on, the transfer element 25 is withdrawn upwardly with the result that, by action of the suction through the orices32 in the bottom of the plate 26, the uppermost disks D are lifted from the several piles on the tray elements l5 each after the manner shown in Fig. 8, carrying along of adjacent disks from the piles being precluded by action of the air blasts discharged downwardly through the lateral orices 2| of the studs I9, thereby counteracting adhesion due to static electric charges or other causes. By this blasting, the disks are moreover cleaned of any adhering dust particles such as would be likely to interfere with the subsequent application of the printing material and result in rejects.

The loaded transfer element 25 with its charge of disks D' is next superposed upon the platen 40 of a printing means as shown in Fig. 9 which platen is rectangular and hollow like the plate 26 of the primary transfer element 25 and provided with apertures 4| to receive the pendant dowel pins 34 of said element. The printing platen 40 is further provided at one end with a nipple 42, for hose connection to a source of suction which latter may be the same as that utilized for transfer element 25. Extending between the top and bottom of the platen 40 within its hollow, are bosses 43 which are spaced and centered to correspond with the spacing of the holes. in the primary transfer element; and in said top wall around the bosses -within the areas of the disks D are suction apertures 44. Incident to application of the transfer element 25 to the platen 4U, the valve of the latter is left open as shown in Fig. 6 to permit the suctionto Q1? UPQII.

the transferred disks and hold them against dispacement While the transfer element is subsequently removed which operation is effected after closure of the valve I3|) for elimination of all restraint upon the disks from above. The blank disks D' being now ready for printing on the platen 40, a frame 45 with handles `46 and dowel pins 4'| to match with the apertures 4| in the printing platen 4D and with a stencil screen 48 at the bottom is superposed upon the platen 40 as shown in Fig. l0, said screen 48 having permeable areas l4i! which may be annular or otherwise configured and which are spaced to correspond with the positioning of the disks. Through the permeable areas 49 in the screen, metallic solution within the frame 45 is forced by means of a squeegee to form imprints 50 upon the top faces of the disks as shown in Fig. 13. From Figs. 13, 14, and 15 it is to be observed that, in the printing, a narrow blank `margin is left around the apertures in the disks D. With the suction still on to hold the disks D to the platen 40 the stencil diaphragm 45 is withdrawn after the printing is accomplished.

The secondary transfer element `of the apparatus which I have devised for removing the wet newly-printed disks from the platen 40 is shown in Figs. 11-15 and there generally designated 'by the numeral 5|. As illustrated, it has the form of a rectangular box 52 with a pair of lift handles 53 secured to its top.

The lower wall of the box 52 is provided with holes 54 which are arranged to correspond with the spacing of the disks on the printing platen 40 and which are counterbored at the bottom as at 55. Disposed within the holes 54 with freedom for a limited amount of lateral movement, are bushings -56 with circumferential flanges 51 occupying the recesses formed by the counter boring, said bushings being held in place by an apertured retaining plate 58 on the underside of the lower wall of the box 52 with their coned bottom ends extending through said plate. It is to be noted that the holes 54 are so dimensioned as to permit the bushings 56 to move both vertically and laterally slightly relative lto the box bottom. Slidable axially within the bushings 56 are pins 59 which are provided with stop heads 60 and collars 6| at the top, and which are somewhat tapered at their bottom protruding ends. Normally, all of the pins 59 occupy the position in which one of them is shown in Fig. 14 with its stop collar 6| resting on a lifting plate 62, the latter being apertured for free passage of the pin Shanks through it, and in turn normally rests on supporting pins 63 which are axially slidable in tubular locating dowels 64 threaded into the box bottom at the corners and adapted to engage downwardly into the corner apertures 4| of the printing platen 4U. As shown, the dowels 64 are provided medially with collars 65 which determine the rest position of the transfer element 5| on the platen 40 and the pins 63 withv collars 66 that act as stops to prevent them from falling through. The lifting plate B2 is confined to vertical movement within the box 52 by guides indicated at B1.

To remove the wet newly printed disks D from the printing platen 4l] the secondary transfer element 5| is placed over platen 40 as shown in Fig. 11. This operation is facilitated through engagement of the dowels 64 with the holes 4| in the platen 40 whereby exact registry of the pins 59 with the apertures in the disks D' is assured the final position of the transfer element 'casussen Fig. 11.4 vAccordingly theipinsi-SS arei'nowsustainedsolely by the disksA D with their 'tapered ends wedgedly engaged in `thedisk apertures and 'with theirstopslH elevated'above the yplateliZ.

In this connection it is to be noted that by reason of the free play of the bushings 55 in the bottom of the transfer element the tapered lower ends of the pins 59 can more readily nd the apertures of the disks D' in case the latter should be somewhat off center without attendant binding of said pins in said bushings. With the immediately foregoing accomplished, the suction to the platen 40 is cut off and the supplemental transfer element 5| withdrawn. As the transfer element 5| is elevated, the pins 59 are eventually lifted out of the bosses 43 of platen 40 upon engagement of their stops 6| from beneath by the plate 62 with the disks D' frictionally held upon them by the wedge action of their tapered bottom ends within the disk apertures after the manner illustrated in Fig. 14.

Finally, the now l-oaded secondary transfer element 5| is lowered over a surface 68 onto which th'e wet disks D arel to be deposited for drying. This surface may for example be the moving conveyor belt of a drying machine. In this step, the pins 63 are the first to engage the surface 68 and are thereby arrested so that as the boX 5| continues downward, the plate 62 is lifted as in Fig. 15 carrying with it the pins 59. Eventually the sharp bottom conical ends of the bushings 56 engage the disks D at the blank margins around their apertures, thereby stripping said disks from the lower ends of said pins after the manner shown in Fig. 15. Upon being so released, the disks simply drop in definitely spaced relation onto th'e surface 68 after which the transfer element 5| is withdrawn and the whole pro-` cedure repeated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. Disk handling apparatus useful in connection with printing means or the like, comprising an element with upstanding impaling stud projections for supporting multiple piles of apertured disks or the like of thin sheet material in definitely spaced relation; a primary transfer element with holes to clear the studs of the supporting element, operative at each actuation when applied fro-m above to remove the topmost disks from the piles and deposit them likewise in denitely spaced relation upon a printing platen to receive an imprint upon their upper faces; and a secondary transfer element operative at each actuation to remove the disks from the printing platen in definite separation as before and to deposit them in the same relation upon a surface for drying without incidentally contacting thel wet printed surfaces of said disks.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, for handling apertured disks or the like, wherein the disk pile supporting element is in the form of a hollow plate provided with means for connection to a source of compressed air, wherein the studs have axial ducts in communication with the hollow of the plate and terminate in lateral air discharge orifices adjacent their tops; and wherein the primary transfer means is likewise in the form of a hollow plate having means with an '6 `ititerpo'sed control-:for connectionuto .a source of suction, and suctiomaperturesthroughdtsi bottom around th'ej respective-:holes within ithetareas of meidiskgs. l f i i s 3. =Apparatus n accoi'ding `to claim i l, .useful-,in

'connection Awith# means for Iprintingapertured disks or the vlike @renin sheetmateriaf wherein the secondarytransfer felement includes `a =plate like element; vwhich isA adapted Ato be applied over "the-ldisksion the platen after the printing, 4pick up pins arranged in the plate to correspondowith the --spacingo -theidisks placed on the platen, the lower ends of the pins being tapered to enter into and to wedgedly engage within the apertures of the disks and so hold them during subsequent transfer, and means automatically operative upon superimposition of the loaded plate upon a surface whereon the wet printed disks are to be supported for drying, to strip the disks from the pins without contacting the printed areas of the disk faces.

4. A support for multiple piles of apertured disks or the like of thin sheet material, comprising a hollow plate with spaced upstanding studs for impalement of the separate piles, said studs having axial ducts in communication with the hollow of the plate and having lateral air discharge orifices adjacent their tops whereby the uppermost disks in the pile are separated to facilitate individual removal; and means -connecting the plate to a source of compressed air.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the lateral air discharge orifices are arranged at different levels adjacent the tops of the studs and wherein the orices at the uppermost level direct the air downwardly at an angle.

6. A transfer element for removing individual apertured disks or the like of thin sheet material from multiple supply piles impaled on spaced upstanding studs of a support, said element comprising a hollow plate with holes corresponding in position to the studs adapted to be applied from above onto the disk piles; suction apertures in the bottom of the plate surrounding the respective holes within the areas of the disks; and means with an interposed control for connection of the plate to a source of suction.

7 The invention according to claim 6, wherein the control is in the form of a valve through which communication between the plate hollow and the suction source is normally maintained, but which, upon actuation, establishes communication of the plate hollow with the atmosphere.

8. A transfer element for removing spacedly arranged apertured disks or the like from a printing platen after printing, comprising a carrier plate for application over the disks on the platen after the printing; pick up pins in the plate arranged to correspond with the spacing of the disks on the platen, the lower ends of the pins being tapered to enter into and to engage within the apertures of the disks and so hold them during subsequent transfer; means automatically op.. erative upon superimposition of the loaded carrier plate upon a surface whereon the wet newly printed disks are to be supported to lift the pins relative to the carrier plate; and stripper elements individually associated with the pins automatically operative as the pins are lifted to strip the disks from the pins without contacting the printed areas of the disks.

9. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the stripper elements are in the form of sleeves which surround the pins, which are loosely retained by the plate, and which protrude through the plate at the bottom to engage unprinted mar- REFERENCES CITED gins around the disk apertures.

10. The invention accordingto claim 8, wherein The following references are of record in the the pin lifting means includes a perforated plate file 0f this Patenti which normally rests on the carrier plate and ..5 UNITED STATES PATENTS engages beneath stop heads on vthe pins, and plungers axially free in the carrier plate and pro- Nllml" Name Date trudng through it at the bottom beyond the pins 324,920 EIlCkISOn July 3, 1906 for raising said lift plate upon contact with the 2,0273 97 Toppln Jan. 14, 1936 surface upon which the disks are deposited for 10 2,356,136 Wampler Aug, 22, 1944 drying. 2,393,682 Hekman Jan. 29, 1946 FRANKLIN G. HIRST. 

